CHAPTER X

Untainted Flower

It was still dark out when Lilly awoke. She yawned, staring up at the ceiling for a bit. She closed her eyes to try and get back to sleep, but it was no use. She swung her legs over the side of her bed, hopping down to the ground as quietly as she could. She wasn't as agile as Ingrid was, but she was getting good enough to not make the loudest thud in the world on the carpet. She was in the middle of grabbing clothes from her dresser when she realized how quiet it was in the room. She looked around. All of the other beds were empty.

"Huh?" she said aloud, switching on the lights. "Oh. Right. The party."

Lilly had been the first of her team to leave last night's party at the third year class's dormitory. The bash was put together by Team SQRL, the top-ranked third-year team, who meant for it to be a celebration of the newest students' survival of the first two weeks of classes, but it quickly got uncomfortable for the only snow-white-haired girl in the building. It was clear that there would be no way for her to escape her family's name.

She hadn't been the only one forced to attend the party by her friends, though. There was one other girl she had tried to make friends with, the only one who didn't seem to know, or perhaps care, that she was a Schnee. Mizuki was her name. She had stood out to Lilly not because she spent her time away from the rest of the crowd, but because of the fact that she wore a perpetual gloom, as if she could never be happy. That didn't sit well with Lilly, but the girl had refused to open up to her any more than that.

Lilly sighed as she changed into a pair of black jeans and boots, wearing her blue shirt un-tucked with the highest button left undone. She threw on her team coat, the white and pale blue one they had picked out together, before leaving the room. She stepped out of the building. Campus was nearly silent, save for the blowing of the wind. The world was still asleep this early in the morning. The light above her flickered for a few seconds before returning to a steady glow.

That was weird, she thought as she made her way toward the quad to visit the knight statue.

She looked at the marble for a while, admiring the strong posture with which it stood. She found herself smiling. Whoever it was this statue represented, he must have been a great person to have fought alongside.

Something was strange. It was much too quiet out, even if it was only five o'clock in the morning. There were no crickets chirping, no fluttering of wings in the sky, no bird calls, nothing. It was as though the entire world was asleep.

She turned around. There was no one there. She walked toward the west quadrant, where the administration center and main hall stood. She passed by the empty amphitheater and walked into the building.

Empty. Just like the rest of the world.

Where is everyone?

She decided to head back to the dorms. Something wasn't right. The first thing she needed to do was find her team. It was bad enough that she had left Myrtenaster in her room, but the worst part was being separated from her comrades.

A chill ran up and down her spine as she neared the south quadrant. Something was there, something she could not identify. She pressed herself up against a wall, peeking around the corner. There was someone headed into one of the dorms. A student, maybe, but something was odd.

Lilly quickly followed after the shadow, but when she entered through the same door, it was gone. She looked left and right. Empty. Not even footsteps or the opening of doors or windows. She stood absolutely still. This building was as empty as the rest.

Her hands were shaking now, knees about to give way. She backed away toward the doors and exited the building, finding herself out on the walkways between dormitories. Her head was on a swivel as she scanned her surroundings for signs of any kind of life.

Her pace quickened before she broke into a light jog. The CCTS tower was a place that never slept, its systems constantly maintained by workers and staff and guarded 24/7, but tonight it was as empty as the rest of campus.

"Hello?" she yelled as she walked back into the quad. "Is anyone out there? In retrospect, yelling across campus without knowing what's around me is probably a terrible idea, but what the heck?"

Footsteps came from behind her. They were uneven and labored. She slowly turned around to face the thing approaching her. It looked human on the outside, but with the lights behind silhouetting it, she couldn't make out any features. One thing was for certain, though. The way it moved and writhed as though it were in pain gave her chills.

She stepped back as it continued to approach her. Its arms attempted to flail about, but it appeared to be stuck in a straitjacket of its own skin. Lilly found her breathing increase in pace as she continued to retreat. She screamed as she backed into someone.

"Whoa!" Leon's voice sounded through the void as he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Lilly, are you all right?"

"Leon!" she yelled, throwing her arms around him. "Ohmygod it's just you thank goodness ohmygod ohmygod!"

He chuckled. "Hey, slow down."

"No! I can't slow down! Not with that thing over there!"

"What thing?"

She turned around to point at the shadowy figure, but all that was there was a gardener, tending to the flowers and bushes. She looked around. There were people scattered about the walkways, headed back to their respective dorms.

"Um, Lilly?" Leon said again.

She turned back around, spotting Ingrid and Yuan joining them along with Team APEX sans Echo.

"Oh, you're awake," Ingrid said. "I thought you were headed back to sleep."

Lilly didn't answer, looking all around in confusion. Seconds ago, the entire campus was silent, but now there were students and staff everywhere.

"Is something the matter?" Yuan asked her.

"Huh?" she said, turning to him as he and the rest joined them. "N-No, nothing's the matter. I just..."

She wasn't sleepwalking, she knew that much for sure. So, then, what was that just now?

"You look pale," Xanthus said.

"Dude, that's her normal skin color," Perseus chuckled.

"I mean that figuratively. Did something happen?"

Lilly shook her head. She couldn't very well tell them that she had been hallucinating. And from the way they were all acting, they clearly did not see the same things she saw just now.

"I, uh, I just came out to get some fresh air," she lied.

"Can't sleep?" Athena asked her.

"Just thinking about the practical exercises coming up on Monday, that's all."

"Speaking of which, are you guys ready for that?" Leon said.

"Damn right we are," Perseus said. "The one on Thursday's gonna be the big one, though. Think you guys can handle a solo patrol?"

"I think we're ready," Yuan said.

"I agree," Ingrid said.

Leon yawned and stretched. "Man, it's a good thing it's only Sunday. We get to sleep in."

"For once, I agree with you, little brother," Athena said.

"You always have to tack on that 'little' part, huh? Even though you're only two minutes older than me?"

"You're still technically my little brother," she said with a grin.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Lilly couldn't help the giggle. "Hey, where's Echo?" she said.

"Probably off sleeping," Perseus said. "She's not exactly a partygoer, if you haven't noticed. She left way before you did, don't you remember?"

—

The sun had just peeked over the horizon when Echo headed back to Beacon Academy. She had just completed mapping out Forever Fall, the red forest where their most important task to date would take place. Tomorrow would see them on an excursion with a segment of their class to collect tree sap. Professor Branwen himself would be with them, but they were all expected to be able to take care of any problems that would arise.

Echo may not have attended any primary combat schools, but she had an almost instinctual sense for these kinds of situations. Although, in this particular case, she needed to rethink her strategies. As a solo hunter, she would always opt to flee rather than fight, but with a team backing her up, she no longer had to run away.

Just like on that day, the first time she had met her partner, Athena Rose, and fought alongside her and what would later become Team APEX and Team LILY. She had to admit that even she was beginning to feel eager to fight beside them again. Having a team, people she could depend on, was incredibly refreshing. She, too, made it a point to be dependable. She could never let these people down. That was the last thing she would ever want to do.

"You're back later than usual."

Echo turned around to face Ingrid, Team LILY's equally stealthy counterpart.

"I take it you've already scouted out all of Forever Fall?"

She nodded. "Are you headed that way, too?"

"Nah. I've seen the place more than once. It's my mom's favorite hangout spot. We went there every time the family came out to Vale to come visit me on Patch while I was still going to Signal. We can compare notes if you want. Did you check out the ruins?"

She nodded. "There aren't as many Grimm out there as the Emerald Forest, surprisingly enough."

"Mom tells me the last war ended up with nearly all of the Grimm getting wiped out. You wanna grab some coffee?"

"Did your team captain get you addicted to the stuff?" Echo said as she led the way to the campus café.

Ingrid chuckled, walking beside her. "Almost. I still drink mine with assloads of sugar and cream. She calls it blasphemy."

"I'm not a coffee drinker at all."

"So, why do you drink it, then?"

She shrugged.

"You have a thing for our leader, don't you?"

Echo didn't respond, but she felt her face warm up.

"And your leader."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Not really. I just pick up on these things. I grew up with four sisters and a brother."

"Yeah, but none of your sisters were into girls, were they?"

"Nadine is. The youngest of my triplet sisters. We all knew it from the start." Ingrid paused for a moment. "You're not into me, are you?"

"No."

"Okay, good, cuz I wasn't sensing that and I thought I screwed up. Besides, I don't think I fit your type, do I?"

Echo shook her head.

"Your type is the strong, diligent, driven type. Like Athena and Penny. But Lilly doesn't fit that mold."

"She's just...I dunno. I mean, have you ever seen her not smiling?"

"I have, actually."

"Still. Do you ever find yourself hating her?"

"Nope. I don't think it's possible to hate Lilly. You'd have to be a genuine asshole to hate a person like her."

"I appreciate that you're referring to her in a gender-neutral way."

"Hey, I keep up with the latest sensibilities. And besides, I grew up with a sister who wasn't 'normal,' so I learned to adapt. Protecting my younger siblings is of the highest priority for me. Even among our fellow Faunus growing up on Menagerie, Nadine was a bit of an outsider. Just because of her preference. I never got that, either. It's like, why the hell would you ostracize someone for who they're attracted to?"

"People are just people, I guess."

"Screw that. My parents didn't go through hell and back in the last war just so people could continue on hating each other."

Echo ordered her coffee black, the same way Lilly always got her coffee, with beans from Menagerie and Patch ground together. She still couldn't get used to the bitterness, but it was also impossible to ignore the mild sweetness that occurred naturally in this blend.

"Yeah, I can't possibly drink it like that," Ingrid said, taking a seat with Echo at a table outside.

Campus was starting to get busy this early in the morning and they watched as students headed to the library, the training halls, and the gym and track. Even on a Sunday, students remained as busy as ever. Most of them were probably upperclassmen, people who had much more strenuous schedules. First-year students were likely still sleeping in, preparing for tomorrow's excursion to Forever Fall.

One of the students who stood out to them in particular was Mizuki, the girl from the party, the one who had been forced to attend with the rest of her team. She had spent the entire night isolated from everyone else, choosing to read for classes rather than mingle and have fun. Both Ingrid and Echo had noticed that it was more than social isolation, though. She had a depressing air about her, as if whatever it was that bothered her went beyond a mere slump. Reading her text books might have been a way of coping with whatever that was.

"I wonder what's eating her," Ingrid said.

"Maybe it's a fourth-year thing," Echo said.

She chuckled. "I mean, yeah, the fourth-years all look stressed out of their minds, but that girl looks more depressed than anything."

Echo shrugged.

"So," Ingrid said, turning to her companion. "Do you have siblings?"

"Two older brothers," Echo said after sipping and setting her cup down.

"Oooh, that couldn't have been fun."

"It was a challenge. I kinda have them to thank for how I grew up."

"They pick on you a lot?"

"No, not really. But they did help me figure out that I could never match them in strength, so I made up for it with speed and stealth."

"That's kinda like how it is with the Grimm."

Echo nodded, taking another sip. "So, why'd you come to Beacon?"

"To become a Huntress," Ingrid said without hesitation. "My mom and dad participated in the Labyrinth War. It's my job as the eldest child to take up that mantle so my younger siblings won't have to."

"That's...a heavy burden."

"Depends how you look at it, I guess. I've pretty much been training for this my whole life. Even as a little girl, mom and dad helped me on my path to achieve my dream. They even let me attend Signal Academy with Athena and Leon since we don't have our own academy on Menagerie."

"What are their stories? The twins, I mean. You've known them since Signal, right?"

"Athena's pretty much the golden girl of Vale. Her skill put together with her Semblance gives her what it takes to overcome pretty much anything. In a one-on-one fight, she's never been beaten. On a team, she's unstoppable."

"What about her brother?"

"Leon's an idiot, that's what he is."

Echo chuckled. "Sounds like you're in love with him."

Ingrid coughed as she drank, spilling some of her coffee. "The hell I do!"

"You just said 'I do'."

"Since when did you get all talkative, huh?"

Echo snickered softly to herself. "I think he has a thing for you."

"Psh. He has a thing for every girl he sees. Even you, you know. He's just never made a move on you because he figures he'd never get a reaction."

"He already did, actually."

"Oh, great. I do apologize for him, by the way. What did you say?"

"I told him I was interested in his sister."

Ingrid laughed. "And how did he react?"

"His jaw dropped and he stared at me for a while expecting me to say that I was joking, and when I didn't, he started laughing ironically as he walked away mumbling to himself."

"That sounds about right. Have you made a move on her, by the way? I mean, she is your partner."

Echo shrugged.

"Intimidated by her?"

She didn't answer.

"I mean, I get it. I find her intimidating. Always have. She's a great person, but jeez, that alpha female personality can get really heavy."

"I don't wanna say she's intimidating, it's just...I dunno. I get all shy when I'm around her."

"Cuz you like her and you don't wanna screw up around her."

"Yeah, I guess."

"What about Lilly? She's the total opposite of Athena."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Really?"

Echo nodded. "Lilly has drive, too. She's not a complete overachiever like Athena is, but she has the motivation to surpass everybody. She just needs her shot."

Ingrid couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. That's kinda the unspoken agreement I have with Leon and Yuan. We all see her potential. Plus, there's the fact that she single-handedly created Beacon's first eight-member team."

"Should we start calling ourselves Team APEXLILY?"

"Psh. Everybody knows Team LILY comes first."

They shared a chuckle.

"What do you think of the two boys on your team?" Echo asked.

"I hate Leon," Ingrid said.

"So you love him."

"Stop that! Ugh, I'm getting the chills just thinking about that!"

She chuckled. "What about Yuan?"

"He's a great team member."

"So, you love him, too."

"Why do you keep saying that about them?" Ingrid practically yelled.

"Well, you cling to Yuan a lot."

She reddened. What Echo was saying wasn't untrue. Lilly was technically her partner, but she did spend more time around Yuan than with her. But that couldn't be totally her fault. After all, Lilly was with Echo and Penny more than anybody else.

"I blame you!" Ingrid said.

"Why me?" Echo chuckled.

"You stole my partner away! Speaking of which, have you made a move on her?"

She shook her head. "It's different with her. She's...I feel like, like I shouldn't get near her, you know?"

"She's the pure white flower that should never be picked."

"That's a surprisingly accurate way of putting it. Poetic, too."

"Lilly's the symbol of the purity that we can never let die."

"Yeah. I know Athena feels the same way. So do Perseus and Xanthus. It's kinda the reason we stick around with you guys so much."

"She really does have that effect on people, huh? I guess that's kinda expected when you have a smile for everybody you meet."

Echo caught herself smiling. The very first time they had met face to face was in the big common room in the dormitory. Their first interaction was a handshake and Lilly giving her a smile that seemed to brighten up everything around her.

"That energy, too," Ingrid sighed. "I'm surprised you don't get drained by it."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Echo said. "But...I mean, it's also refreshing."

"I know what you mean. Leon's energy is friggin' exhausting, but hers is different."

"You're talking about Leon again. Are you sure you don't like him?"

"I hate him!"

Echo chuckled. "If you say so."

—

"Ow, shit," Leon said.

"What's wrong?" Perseus asked him.

"Nothing. I just bit my tongue."

"I think someone is gossiping about you," Xanthus said, pushing up his glasses.

"Psh. Girls are always talkin' about me."

Yuan chuckled quietly.

"Oh, this looks good," Perseus said, holding up a fancy coat.

"Man, you really do come from a rich family," Leon said.

"Not by choice. I kinda have to know this kind of shit to survive where I come from."

"That must suck ass."

"You have no idea. Anyway, you guys have any thought what you're gonna wear to Winter Formal?"

"I haven't even asked a girl to that dance yet let alone picked out an outfit."

"You don't mind if I ask your sister to the dance, do you?"

"I mean, she's her own woman. She doesn't need my permission. But I do appreciate you asking me. Good luck, though."

"I intend to ask her as friends, not as anything more than that. I don't like team dynamics getting complicated."

"What about you?" Leon asked Xanthus. "Who you gonna ask?"

"Honestly, I was hoping all eight of us could just go as one big group," he said.

"Spoken like a true class president," Perseus said. "I like that idea." He turned to Leon. "I'm still asking your sister to be my dance partner, though."

"Like I said, man, you're both consenting adults," he said.

They all turned to Yuan, who was examining a suit he would never be able to afford.

"C'mon, man," Perseus said, resting an arm on his shoulder. "Who you crushin' on?"

He shrugged. "I don't really have the time to think about that kind of stuff."

"You're no fun. What about your team leader?"

"She's cute."

"Oh? How's about your cat Faunus teammate? She's real cute, too, ain't she?"

"She's pretty."

"Whoa! Lilly's cute, but Ingrid is pretty, huh? I mean, I do agree with you, but whoa, that honesty. You're gonna have to work on that, though, cuz she and Leon have history, ya know what I mean?"

"Bro," Leon said dryly. "I may screw around with her all the time, but no."

"Sounds like you love her," Xanthus said, idly checking out clothing.

"What the f—never mind. I'm gonna go do what I was supposed to do an hour ago."

"What?" Perseus said. "Confess your feelings to your childhood sweetheart?"

Leon tripped over a shoe rack and fell right onto the floor. He got up, quickly dusting himself off, extending a middle finger to the other guys, and headed out of the store without looking back at them.

"Yeah, man," Perseus said to Yuan. "If you do like Ingrid, you're gonna have some competition."

"As I said," Yuan began, "I don't have the time to nurture any kind of relationship."

"God, you're like Xanthus, only less dramatic. You guys really are from Mistral, friggin' overachievers."